If I Asked You To Stay, Would You?
by ComicsCorner
Summary: Team Cap is temporarily staying in Wakanda under the protection of T'Challa and Steve says goodbye to Bucky who is put back in Cryo Meanwhile, Shuri with the help of Doctor Paige Hayes works on a cure for Barnes. Cap and team go back to saving the world. All the while HYDRA agents are still looking for their lost Soldier. (Small Romanogers snippets sequel to One Call)
1. Stay

**Before Infinity Chronicles**

 **Wakanda**

For the past few days, it felt as if time had slowed. The conflict that had risen and had passed at times felt as if it never happened, other times it was impossible to forget a single detail. What had happened and what had been said wouldn't be forgotten so easily, a lot of it was too painful to forget, both physically and emotionally. It seems that all anyone them could do was hide, hiding was their best option for the time being. T'challa had been more than generous in giving Steve and his team a place to temporarily stay in Wakanda. They must have been the very first outsiders allowed in this third world countries borders. It was beyond incredible, the culture, the people, and technology all seemed to flow naturally with everything else. Everyone was so kind and proud, having a very deep value for their way of life. It was a nice change of pace to see the people of the world live in the world that they have kept safe for so long. T'challa was more than willing to give all of them shelter and Bucky medical aid for his mind. "Sure about this?" Steve asked, wanting to hear his friend say it with his own words.

"I can't trust my own mind." He chuckled softly, seeing that as pretty obvious. "So, until they figure out how to get this stuff out of my head, I think going back under is the best thing." Steve nodded as his gaze went to the floor. "For everybody."

"Alright." Caps eyes came back up to his friend again. "I'll miss you." The two old friends exchanged goodbyes before Doctor Hayes arrived.

"Can you give us a minute?" Buck asked.

"Of course." Steve nodded, acknowledging Paige before he left.

She looked deeply into his eyes, her small hands cupped his face. He chuckled again when he saw that her hair was bleached since he last saw her before the fight at the airport. "I'm a wanted fugitive now." She replied. "Seeing how I unintentionally aided and abetted you while you were a wanted criminal. So, the hair is bleached."

"I still am a wanted criminal." The soldier added placing his only hand on her hip. "And I'm still sorry about that." She shook her head while a smile grew on her face.

"Sooner or later they'll get the idea that I don't know anything. They're only under the assumption that I know more, Thanks to Stark!"

"You'll have to stay hidden for a while." Paige knew that that was the case long before he said it. She had known since she had seen her friends picture on the news when the UN bombing took place and when Steve and Sam her close friend had brought her to come and speak with Barnes. She had already notified her family not to speak to the police if they come knocking. "You'll be safe here."

"Here?" She asked, acting like she wasn't going to stay in Wakanda.

James stumbled over his words for a moment, glancing ever so often at the floor then back up to her. "I…If I asked you to stay, would you?" It was at this time that he had pulled her into a hug. Paige wrapped her arms tightly around him, while she rested her head on top of him. "It wasn't fair of me to drag you into my problems. I just wanted your help and now you're in danger."

"When we first met you never told me the truth about who you really were. I had no idea."

"I'm so sorry."

"Stop it." Paige scolded him. "I was mad that you lied to me, not because you needed help." She spoke stroking his hair which seemed to help calm him down. "Do you want me to stay?" She asked referring back to his earlier question.

He nodded, meeting her eyes again and his grip tightened around her. "Yes, please." Maybe it was just the fact that she had fallen in love with him or the fact that he was going to need her when he woke up, but she couldn't bring herself to say no.

"Yeah, I'll stay." Paige sighed happily, pressing her lips against his forehead.

"Thank you." Buck looked so relieved to hear this. "Now I have something to look forward to when I wake up."

"I'll be here the second you do." She smiled bringing his lips close to her. "I promise." A grin grew on Steves' face when he saw his friend with Paige. He knew that after everything that Bucky had gone though he deserved to be at peace. And Wakanda and Paige had the tools and methods to ensure that peace. Both Rogers and Hayes watched sadly as their friend entered Cryo sleep but pleased to know that it was of his own free will this time. "I'll keep you updated on his progress when he wakes up."

"Thank you, Paige. You took a big risk today by helping all of us."

"that's kinda funny. Someone like me, helping people like all of you." She looked up at the soldier, seriousness in her eyes. "So as someone like me can I give you some advice? I'm pretty good at that."

"Yeah."

"It takes a lot of tolerance for all of you to make the world safe for people like me. Not because we don't have a super soldier serum or a suit of armor, but because we're good-natured people who genuinely care. I'm not naive I know that there are horrible people who aren't the bad guys there are always the good and bad. Never stop fighting when the bad gets to you, and if it does just think of the people like me, the ones who make the fight worthwhile. They're the people who will appreciate you, accords or not" Steve took a moment to think about what the doctor had said. It was nice having a different outlook on what people like Paige thought of people like him and she wasn't thinking of her own safety, she was concerned for the rest of the world that was worth the time and effort. And she was right, accords or no accords the world still needed the Avengers, united or divided. When so much adversity is thrown your way, fight for those who will stand with you!

"Thank you, Paige."

"Don't mention it." She sighed in exhaustion. "Now I'm gonna have to find another job." Since the government was now aware of Paige's involvement with the Winter Soldier, no thanks to Tony. Hayes knew that it wouldn't be a good idea to return to her job or apartment in DC for a while. "I like being productive."

"Come work for us."

Her head shot up and her eyes widen when he said this. "Work for you?"

"Why not? I'm sure that a lot of us have things that we'd like to get off our chests. Have a new perspective." She didn't need any more convincing. With a shake of the hand, Paige Hayes took the position as the Avengers personal therapist. Wanda seemed happy with the Doctors position and had asked for an appointment. Paige was thrilled to have her as a client and couldn't wait to get to know Wanda.

"Welcome to the Team, girl." Sam laughed, leading his coworker to her new office.

"You're out of a job now too, Wilson." She teased as she picked up her suitcase.

"Nah girl, I got a job."

"Flying around in a bird costume doesn't count."

Wilson groaned in annoyance. "It ain't a bird costume."

 _ **(Will Post chapter 2 Soon!)**_


	2. Broken White Boy

Steve didn't realize how tired he was until he collapsed on a white rec couch above Shuris lab. He has just said goodbye and had lost friends today, maybe for good. Something like this didn't seem possible, something this insane and well throughout had separated the Avengers, divided them and could possibly keep them that way. If things had ended differently if they had ended well for all of them he would have taken it. Steve forgot how he needed to stop trying to please everyone, he can't save everyone, can't make everyone happy. Maybe he'd talk to Paige about it one of these days. His eyes slowly became heavier and heavier until he drifted off for a moment, letting if consciousness and worries flow away as he was swallowed by the exhaustion. "Guess it makes sense to take a nap." He jerked up when hear heard Natasha voice. "After everything that's happened who wouldn't be tired?"

He sat up, not sure of how long he had drifted. Rubbing his eyes, he looked up at his friend as she made her way over to him. "What are you doing here Nat?" His tone wasn't at all annoyed or angry, he seemed rather curious. He motioned for her to sit and she did. "Did Ross send you?" The question was more rhetorical than anything else. He knew the second that she helped Rogers and Barnes that Tony would never let her hear the end of it and she was now an enemy of the accords

She smirked as she leaned in close. "You know as well as I do that they don't know you're here. And T'Challa sent for me to come here. His way of saying thank you for keeping him from killing Barnes." He did owe her for letting him and Bucky escape from the airport. At the end of the day, she really did always had his back. "I couldn't believe that you and Tony went at each other like that. Are you ok?"

He had to admit he was sore, in more places than one. Fighting Tony like that was something he thought he'd never do. How could he? Steve buried his hands in his face, Nat held him close, comforting him in silence. "Things got bad, didn't they? How could we let ourselves become so lost?"

"We've been doing this a long time, it's up to us to do what we can."

"Even if that means that we turn on one another?"

Nat was quiet again, thinking over what Rogers said. "I don't think that any of us wanted this." Steve looked back at her, taking her hand in his. They talked about everything that had happened, they apologized and thanked one another. "I don't know where we go from here in terms of our friends. But as a team, I know we can pull together regardless." Deep down he knew that she was right. The accords were a test for all of them, there was no pass or fail. It tested their willingness to stand till the end no matter what side was chosen.

"We have a lot of apologies to make."

"Yeah." Nat sighed deeply, sitting up her arms crossed as she leaned back with Steve. "I need to apologize to Hayes. Tony and I didn't think that Ross would lock her up."

"She's a good person. She has faith in us, we have to keep fighting for people like her." Sometimes even the mighty Avengers needed a reason to keep going, to remind them of who they fight for. "Plus, if you need someone to talk to she's pretty good, gives nice insight."

"That's right, she's a therapist, isn't she?"

"A good one from what Wanda's already told me."

"Yeah, we're all going to need therapy after all this." The pair laughed, looking out the window to the vast and deep Wakanda jungles where a massive Panther stature stood, keeping a watchful eye.

"Were you surprised I was right?"

"In all honesty, I would have been disappointed in you if you were letting your emotions get the better of you. But you were going to defend Barnes whether he was innocent or not. I'm sorry things ended this way. If it had gone differently-"

"Something tells me that it wouldn't have ended differently. We all made our choices, trusted what we thought was right." Nat looked at him with admiration in her eyes. "I'm really glad you're here Nat."

She sighed, resting her head on his shoulder. "Like I said before, I didn't want you to be alone."

Maybe he was wrong in thinking that Tony and the others wouldn't come around. They've known one another for years, maybe time apart would be good for all of them in the end. He laughed when he thought back to when they had all first met, it was nothing but nasty looks and trying to show up one another. But something made him trust Nat from minute one. During the fight in New York, they worked in sync, watching one another backs and she was the one person who stood by him when HYDRA had infiltrated within SHIELD she was with him every step of the way. "Can you stay?" He asked, resting his head atop hers.

"Well, I can't go back to the compound and I like working with you and Wilson, so why not?" She was sturdy when he moved on her, his lips firmly against her own. Neither of them thought about their attraction to each other at first, their friendship was filled with loyalty and respect. "Nice timing Rogers." She spoke sarcastically. "But I like that I'm your second kiss since 1945."

"Yeah." He sighed looking embarrassed. "I'm the leading expert on taking too long."

"Well." She replied holding him close to her and leaning into his touch. "Late is better than never."

* * *

 ** _1 Month Later_**

 ** _After BP Movie_**

Wakanda was something truly special to behold. And Shuri was more than happy to brag about it. Paige knows that she would need to do some shopping. Her cargo pants and deep blue tank top didn't exactly make her blend in, besides the obvious. But she was overjoyed that Wakanda was fulfilling her obsession with long headband scarfs. She selected one from an assortment that Nakia had and selected a multi-colored with a triangle pattern. She secured it around her head, letting her side bangs show and letting the long tails hand behind her. "You know it's the weather like this that makes me happy I cut my hair." The three women parted when a group of young children ran past them, laughing as they played in the streets. Paige was sad to see the Cap and the other rejoin the world, but they were able to defend themselves out there and still had work to do. T'Challa had promised that she would be safe with them until she was no longer a concern of the US Government. And she certainly felt safe with warriors like the Dora Milaje guarding her.

"How do you like your room?" Shuri asked, placing a few fresh mangos in a tote.

"Wonderful. But your family didn't have to give me such a big one."

"Ah, you preferred to be cooped up like a pearl in an oyster?"

"That's not what she means, Shuri," Nakia said, handing money to a vendor in exchange for a pineapple. "She's just being nice."

"Ooooh." The Princess giggled.

"You're goofy," Paige replied with a smile, picking up her bags.

"Hey, I'm helping to fix your broken white boy. I'm allowed to be goofy." Taking Paige by the hand and leading her and Nakia to one of her favorite baked goods stand that sold the greatest banana puffs.

Hayes smirked with a raised eyebrow. "Broken white boy?"

"You need to stop calling him that," Nakia added.

The little Princess was quick to playfully protest. "But he is a broken white boy."

"Just eat your banana puffs they'll keep you quiet." Before Shuri could respond her Kimoyo beads singled her. A data file appeared before her, reading it carefully she turned back to Paige.

"Shit, we have to get back to my lab. There may be an update on our broken white boy."


	3. I Figured it Out

"Shit!" Shuri shouted slamming her hands on her desk in similar frustration. She read the results over and over again that was displayed on her computer. This was her fourth attempt running her algorithm that she had explained would have flushed out the memories of specific trigger words, but so far it hadn't worked, once again they were at a dead end. "We need to try something new, we can't keep giving the same results hoping for a change." Paige watched as Shuri pace anxiously looking at her datapad to review her notes. Paige reached into her bag and pulled out a small, blue notebook to go over her own notes. "Girl, I can give you a datapad you know?"

Hayes only shook her head, taking a seat at a nearby desk, selecting from an assortment of pens in front of her. "With everything being digital and obsolete now, paper should never be one of those things."

Shuri smiled in admiration of that. "I don't understand what I'm doing wrong." Paige activated the monitor at her desk to go over the same data that the young princess was reading. It was the same information as the last three times. The mental reconditioning and abuse that HYDRA had given Bucky for years were much stronger than they had thought. The first time the process had failed they altered some of the conditions of the program to see if lessening or increasing would do anything at all.

"We'll get it. We just need to think of a new setup." Shuri was happy to have Paige working with her, having an expert on the human brain was defiantly a must in this case. Everyone knew from the start that this wouldn't be easy, but having optimism played a key role and a real challenge was intriguing to both women. It isn't easy to come up with a treatment for something as complex as this, just to understand all of it Paige had to go a lot of reading, a lot of sleepless nights learning everything she could. There were so many reasons for why she knew that she wasn't going to be much help. But her past sessions with Barnes gave her a clear understanding of his emotional state, which she had described as disturbing. All those horrible experiences, those memories that drove those emotions and vise versa, the whole thing made her sick, made her feel like hiding from the whole world for just knowing. But there wasn't time for hiding, there was work to be done. They worked tirelessly until Paige had to half drag and carry Shuri back up to her room. Paige then went to her room, showed, called her parents and sat in bed with her laptop looking at her March Madness bracket. "Come on, Washington Huskies." She hadn't thought that they would have made it this far in the season. "You'd be proud of them Grandpa." She smiled rubbing her thumb against the dog tag braclet she wore along with a small cremation bottle ariund her neck. "Better do well Huskies or Grandpa Hunter is gonna come back as a ghost and kick your asses." She had found out that the FBI had gone to her parents' house and her sisters asking questions but had told them the truth about not knowing where she was and her friends said the exact same thing. She had to contact them over a private phone and email line given to her by Tony, another of his many apology gifts for getting her locked up by Ross. She looked down at her chat line app when it buzzed.

 _"When are you going to tell us about your new job?" - Sophie_

Paige was happy that her sister was taking an interest in her work. She had always made jokes in the past that were harmless enough. _"Sorry, it's a lot like where I am….classified!" =D_

 _"You suck!";P_ Paige smirked about to type a rebuttal before another message appeared. _"Are you doing ok? Be honest."_

 _"Yeah, I am, honestly."_ She was in some cases doing fine, in terms of her safety anyway. Besides the fact that she lost her job, she was thrown in jail and her family was being interrogated by the police. She was scared but had to trust Stark to fix it. _"How's Allen?"_

 _"Tell me about your day,"_ Sophie replies. Paige knew that her sister was trying to cheer her up. She was the one miles away from home and as far as they knew she was just in the next state over, but she wasn't.

 _"Sorry can't tell you. It might not be safe."_

 _"Seriously?" :/_

"Sorry."

 _"Just how secure is this private line we have?'_

 _"Can't risk it. I promise I'll explain everything when it's safe. I'll call tomorrow, I gotta go."_

 _"what time is it where ever you are?"_

 _"…Nice try sis."_ Paige loved her sister, hated lying to her about what was going on with her but knew that telling everyone wouldn't do any good. As long as they knew that she was safe and alive that was enough. She closed her laptop and laid it in her bedside table drawer then collapsing on her mattress. Just to pass a little bit of time she flipped back and forth in her notebook. The right-side bangs oh her pixie cut fell over her glasses as she looked down to the little notebook. "What are we doing wrong?" She wasn't expecting the process to be easy, it just felt that every single attempt trial and error was met with other obstacles. "Bad memories, physical trauma, mental abuse." The words echoed in her mind and repeated as she spoke them to herself. "Longing, rusted, seventeen, daybreak, nine, benign, homecoming, one, freight car." Why those words? To activate the mind, control the words would have to be something that wouldn't be heard in everyday conversation, at least not at the same time. "Longing, rusted, seventeen, daybreak, nine, benign, homecoming, one, freight car." Those words are specific, so what could they mean, what were they saying? "Longing, rusted, seventeen, daybreak, nine, benign, homecoming, one, freight car." Longing by definition is a yearning desire, rusted is worn and stiff, seventeen is an age or number of something. They had to have meaning, some kind of reasoning and deep significance. She was sure that these words were what she was going to be saying in her sleep if she could get to sleep at all tonight. "Longing, rusted, seventeen, daybreak, nine, benign, homecoming, one, freight car." It then as if she had been hit by a freight car. "Oh my God!" now she understood. She must have seen those words a thousand time from the Winter Soldier book that they managed to confiscate from Zemo. She had studied it in-depth, made her own notes, hypothesis and did as much heavy research as her brain would allow. And finally, for the first time in weeks, one of the mystery's seemed so clear. She ran out of her room as fast as her small feet would let her. The floor was cold and hard underneath her and the moon lit the palace in a beautiful white glow. She had gotten lost a few times along the way, the damn palace was too damn big. "Jeez are half these rooms even used?" She took another right not really afraid if she was going to wake everyone up, she was too small and light. She slid a few inches on the stone floor when she fell from Shuris heavy door, colliding with it awfully fast she was sure that she had bruised herself.

"What the hell tiny white girl?" Shuri squealed, bolting out of bed. Paige looked at her with an unamused look. She really wasn't that tiny. Only being 5'4" and weighing 137 pounds, but that hardly mattered. "What are you doing it's after midnight!"

Paige quickly got to her feet out of breath as she spoke. "I figured it out!" That's all she said before making her way to the door again. "Come on!" She called making her way back down to the lab.

Shuri stood on her bed calling back to her friend. "Figured what out?" Realizing that she wasn't going to get an answer the young princess put on her slippers and ran after Paige.

 _ **(Sometimes it's really easy to imagine a face when you have an image. Paiges look is based on Valarie Curry, I just saw her image and knew that she was perfect)**_


	4. Romanogers Date and Shuri's Memes

**_New York_**

 ** _Walker Hotel_**

"What the hell is that?" Natasha laughed, pointing at Rogers when he entered their suite. He had been running ops with Sam in the middle east for the past two weeks. During that time Nat was busy with her own personal missions. "I thought you were gonna shave it off?" Romanoff had mixed feeling about Rogers sudden desire to look like a cave man.

"I thought you liked it?" He replied running his hand over his bristled face. She laid on her stomach on their queen bed, her feet hidden under the pillows to keep them warm.

The spy's face scrunched up when she looked him over. "Yeah, but doesn't it feel weird?"

"Wanna feel it?" He asked climbing on the bed with her, she rolled away laughing.

"What? No! Get that rats nest away from me." He body curled when he pinned her down in a hug, kissing her cheek as she continued to laugh.

"Hey you've got your new color and I've got facial hair. Can't we both be happy?"

"But remember that I have to kiss those lips." She grinned sweetly at him, admiring how the sunlight framed his beautiful face. "I guess so. But you know Tony's going to hate that thing. He's very sensitive about change."

"That doesn't sound surprising."

Nat stared down at him again, her right arm propping herself up while her free hand rested under Rogers' chin. "I guess It is kind of sexy." Steves' eyes soften when he kissed the spy, feeling safe and sleepy as the sunlight warmed them. "You and Foster find anything out?"

The spy shook her head. "Not a damn thing." Along with Banner being off the grid for two years and now Thor had gone missing. Nat and Steve along with the others weren't sure if they were really missing or if they had decided to go their separate ways for good? Could they really leave the team like that? "I really miss them," Nat said her eyes saddening. "I miss everyone. I don't want things to end this way."

Steve sat up to face her, clutching her hand. "It won't."

"How do you know?" She asked, looking hopeful. Maybe it was the trust she had in him or just how he was overall, but she knew that and should have known from minute one. She didn't need to know how he knew, she already did. "You're right, I'm sorry." The pair stayed quiet for a while, clinging close to one another as the day grew to a stunning evening setting. Steve rose his head at the ticking clock above their bed, it wasn't very late and the night was young.

"Come on." He shot her a smile, getting up from the bed and grabbing his jacket.

"Where are we going?" She asked picking up her own coat and sliding her long black boots over her jeans.

All the captain said was. "Out." It was nice that they currently couldn't be recognized by anyone. It was amazing what dyed hair, a beard and a pair of sunglasses will do. They sat at Eddies sweet shop café with coffee and a desert big enough to share. No missions, no thugs, no recruits to train and no paparazzi blinding their eyes with camera flashes.

"This is nice," Nat said as a waiter refilled her coffee cup.

The captain was pleased to hear this. "Knew you would."

"Or you were just hoping that I was in the mood for strawberry ice cream. Still a bit of a drive out here Rogers."

"This was one of the very few places that is still standing from back in the day. It was over two hours to walk there from Brooklyn, so we only came on special occasions."

"We?" Nat asked, setting her spoon back in the ice cream bowl they were sharing. She knew more about Steve than people thought, knew his family friends and what he was like in his childhood and when he grew up. Everything he was before the ice.

"My family and Bucky and I." Natasha loved him for how he was resilient to his suffering, but never made an effort to forget where he came from unlike her. And unlike her, he was more willing to talk about the more painful details.

"Would you ever come back here? I mean to live here permanently?" Steve shrugged, looking around the store, taking in every detail both new and old. Many things had changed, but the feeling was the same. The new tile was polished brightly enough to see once reflection as it was as he remembered even from so long ago the walls have been painted a different color but some of the original woodworking seem the same kept nice and meet after years of different ownership and abuse they might have suffered panels and menu styles were different but something about the overall atmosphere made it feel like home made it feel like nothing ever changed made him Miss what he had missed ever since he had woken up but he didn't feel regret.

"Dunno, would you?" Both of them froze when their eyes met. It didn't seem complicated, didn't even seem to be a question of if it would happen. The concept of living together didn't really come up but since they had been sharing multiple different hotel rooms just spending time together in a way they had been cohabitating for at least the past few weeks. They could have made the arguments that it was too soon, but they have known each other for years and as they've experienced and seen multiple times in the years that they have known each other and having friend's life is short. Short and sometimes cruel whether they did or didn't do the work that they did life is precious it has a better meaning with people who love it.

"Smooth Rogers."

"What happened to late is better than never?"

She flicked the bill of his baseball cap and got up from her seat after she paid the check. "Quiet Soldier." Her date was quick to follow her outside into the lamp-lit streets. "Don't know if I'm over the big city scene yet."

"It's a big world, nat."

That was true, there was plenty of places to be and to see. "That's what beautiful about the world." She spun on her heels and held him close to her. "But I'd really just want to be somewhere where you draw on the porch and rub my feet while I read Alexander Pushkin." Steve didn't hesitate to kiss her, like what she had in terms of a home more and more.

* * *

 ** _Wakanda_**

For being a tiny white girl, she sure ran fast. "Hayes?" Shuri called when she made it to the entrance of her lab out of breath. "What's going on?" Paige opened her massive personal notebook along with the Winter Soldier journal while repeating the trigger words softly to herself over and over again.

"One minute." She finally replied to Shuri as she ripped out ten pieces of individual paper and wrote one of the trigger words on each. Then spread them out on the floor in a circle she wrote additional notes on the longing, furnace, freight car, homecoming and benign pieces then stood up for Shuri to inspect her work. "It's all psychology."

Shuri took her time to look at the circle her friend had made. Thinking back if she might have missed something from earlier. "I'm going to need you to explain." Paige picked up the journal handed it back to the princess.

"I told you that when we started working together that my work as a phycologist required me to help my patients not only understand their fears and anxieties but to also know how to combat them. Triggers of anxiety could be anything from worrying about the future, the workplace, being alone or even just thinking about your anxiety triggers. Point is situations and certain thoughts can trigger these types of emotions, who's to say that words can't do the same? Can't trigger painful memories or emotions?"

Shuri moved closer to her looking intrigued, thinking that they might have a solution. "Show me."

Paige pointed to the circle of paper. "There are the ten trigger words that we know activate Barnes mind control. And much like triggers for anxiety they are linked and result in rapid thought and irrational thinking. The only main difference is that Barnes triggers were forced into his mind by a machine with negative reinforcement to build up his fear."

"What do you mean?"

Paige's finger than motioned to the freight car paper. "Freight car, also known as a train car."

Shuris eyes did widen when she could read the meaning in Hayes words."Captain Rogers told us that he fell from a freight car before he died." She made sure to make quotes when she said died.

"Exactly!" The doctor could hardly contain her excitement and relief. "Now look." Both women's gaze moved to longing. "Longing by definition is a yearning desire. He would have had a yearning desire to return back to the allies during the war or a longing to escape his captors but he never can."

Shuri was beginning to catch on. "Right and benign could be directed toward his kind nature, something he could never be as an assassin. They wanted him cold and ruthless."

"He never had a soldier's homecoming."

"His arm was forged in a furnace." Never before had they ever felt so close to some proper answers. But they stopped when they came to the rest of the words, finding themselves stumped. "What about the others?"

"Think you can help me?"

Shuri nodded in excitement as she quickly brought back coffee for the both of them. "What's next? Seventeen?"

"That's his birth year, March 10th 1917."

"His birthday was last Saturday?"

"Oh my god." Paige hadn't even realized that the Sargent was now 99 years old. She had been so invested in his cure that she hadn't even thought about his birthday. "I totally forgot."

"Get him a gift when he wakes up," Shuri said pulling her back to their progress. "Ok, so seventeen could mean his birth year. What about one and nine, could they mean the century?"

Paige thought carefully but quickly disagreed. "If it was the century why wouldn't they just say nineteen? The one and nine must mean something different."

"Nein nien nien nien nien nien nien!" Was all that Shuri could shout as she smacked her hand on her desk.

The Doctor just stared at the princess for a moment. T'Challa had warned her about his sisters' habit of making jokes referencing internet memes. So far, she hadn't made a one since they've been working together, but this was so bad and out of the blue and oddly enough very much needed that she couldn't help to crack a smile and bury her face in her hands.

"There isn't a cringe big enough." Both found it necessary to laugh seeing how they were thrilled to be close to some possible lead in the last month and that humor was the only thing making them not lose their minds. "Back to work."

"Back to life, back to reality!"

"Ok stop!" Shuri looked over the papers again while trying to stop her giggling. "And seriously jacksepticeye?"

"Judging me?"

"Not in the least." If Hayes was going to judge anyone about anything at all it wouldn't be about famous Youtubers. "Top of the morning to ya laddies!" Both of them knew that if they didn't stop now they'd never get done, so they put off their meme war for later.

"Alright….oh uh nine could mean an obvious nine-headed Hydra."

"Like the Hydra Lernaia from myth." That seemed to make more sense than anything else. "Then what if one refers to him being the first singular Winter Soldier? A lone wolf type thing."

"White Wolf."

"That just leaves daybreak and rusted." While Shuri paced watching Paige write down and scratched off possible meanings, emotions or memories tied to these.

"We have enough for now, just as long as we get the bases for most of them."

"This is good. We have something to work with." Paige marked the progress they made on each piece of paper and placed them on her bulletin board above her desk. "We now know that these words have significant meaning. Could this help your algorithm?"

Shuri rubbed her eyes as she yawned. "Yeah, it most likely can. But I can't do anything right now until I at least get eight hours and it's already after midnight." Being the understanding person, she was and seeing how she had drag her out of bed Paige was more than willing to allow Shuri the sleep that both of them were going to need.

"Come on, I'll walk you up." The girls walked arm in arm back to their rooms, exhausted by overjoyed to have a lead for Barnes.

 ** _(Funny enough I had forgotten to post a Winter Soldier birthday post to my PopCulture group last Saturday! Knew I was forgetting something. Happy belated birthday. Also, I'm not an expert but have been to a therapist before for my own anxiety issues and have done research on the topic before for my own personal benefit and of course this story.)_**


	5. Solutions

Shuri wasn't at all surprised to find Paige in the lab before her the next morning. She stood facing her bulletin board, mumbling the two remaining words, daybreak and rusted. She had crumpled up paper surrounding her sandal feet, almost hiding them. "You look nice this morning." Shuri complimented on Paiges long-sleeved, purple Dashiki dress.

Wakanda was certainly doing wonders for her wardrobe. "Thanks."

"How's progress?"

"Being made. I think I might know what the final trigger words mean." The young genius looked over everything that Paige had written out. "Daybreak might refer to a dawn or a beginning. So, the beginning of new life with HYDRA. And rusted, that was more difficult than I thought, took me longer to figure out. But maybe it could be referencing to his rusted mind or rusted arm, I'm still not sure about that one."

"I'm impressed." Shuri had already begun to add the information to her algorithm. "That should be enough, I'll start working with what we've got."

"My notes will give you any additional help." If the program could use the trigger words and the memories that activated them it would make scrubbing them from Barnes mind much easier. What they had uncovered was invaluable! "It'll take me a little while to run the new information into the algorithm. It'll take a few hours and take longer if the process works at all."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Not as of right now."

"Shuri-"

"You did well, girl. Don't worry about it right now. I'll call you when I finish." Paige was about to argue again. "Hey without your help I wouldn't have made any progress at all. Leave this to me." There was no reason to lose faith in Shuri now. Not when she's proven her incredible intellect over and over again. Paige gathered her things and decided to pay the sleeping soldier a visit. The walk to the med center wasn't too far a distance and there might have been new data that Doctor Keray had found to assist their work.

"Good morning, Doctor Hayes." Keray greeted when the kind visitor entered the lab.

"Morning Doctor Keray." She greeted sweetly with her cup of tea in hand. "How's our patient doing today?"

"Very good. Strong vitals and heart rate as usual. Nothing to worry about." Making her way around the center Paige greeted the rest of Doctor Keray's staff, who were all hard at work. Trying to take Shuris advice and take it easy until her coding was finished was exhausting. Biting her nails down wasn't going to help her anxiousness in any way. Time stood still as she gazed at the sleeping Sargent Barnes in his cryo pod.

"We're almost there Barnes. Won't be too much longer." It wasn't clear if Buck was able to hear anything while he was asleep, but regardless Paige would often read to him, played classical 40's music on her grandfather's old record player and even managed to find old episodes of Fibber McGee and Molly online. All this noise would help with his awareness when woke up. "Would I be disturbing any of you if I read?"

"Not at all."

"Thank you." Paige pulled up a chair next to the pod and pulled out a book from the drawer next to her. "Chapter 5." Her voice was soothing and calm as she read. The book itself was worn even more as second-hand books come but held together well enough. Maybe it was a little cliched to read the Manchurian Candidate to him, but maybe it could shed some light. She had already read it once back in high school, the thoughts of a human being able to control people like Barnes had been just looked like fiction, she couldn't have been more wrong. She had referred back to the novel while working with Shuri and surprisingly it had given useful insight to what they were dealing with. Some of the context and ideas were more than a little out there and were scrapped from the research. The idea was more than ahead of its time, it had predicted a future that history never saw coming. The creation of the Winter Soldier was HYDRA Manchurian. Could someone who worked with them have written this book as a warning? Do not trust the nine-headed HYDRA for they have created something that is more monster than man. Paige shuttered at the thought and yelped when she felt her phone vibrate. It sent her spine-tingling with fear until she answered it. "Hello?"

 _"Paige?"_

"Mom?"

 _"You haven't called in over two weeks. We're getting worried over here."_

"Oh god." Paige sighed in disbelief and disappointment in herself for leaving her ghosting her parents for that long. "I'm so sorry."

 _"Is everything ok?"_

"Yeah, I've just been working hard." The worry in the older woman's voice couldn't be missed.

 _"How long is this protective custody thing going to last? It's already been a month, Paigey."_

Hayes quickly left the lab to not disturb the staff inside. She walked slowly up and down the halls as she talked. "I know I'm sorry. But it'll be over soon."

 _"Honey, you know that if you joined a cult you can tell me right."_

Paige snorted. "Pease, I'm too smart to end up in a cult you know that."

 _"Indeed, I do."_ There was a long pause before Mrs. Hayes voice cracked. _"Well can you at least visit us back home, just for a little while?"_

"Mom I-"

 _"You won't have to talk about work, just let me see you please!"_ She didn't like having to be so far away from her family, the entire situation at times wasn't favorable in terms of long-distance communication.

"I'll see what I can do."

Mrs. Hayes sighed in relief. _"Thank you, sweetheart."_

"I'm only coming to prove to you I'm not in a cult." Paige teased, hoping that it would help her mother feel better. "I'll see you soon mom." Maybe getting away for a little while would be good for her. Help her rest and refuel her brain and she couldn't pass up the offer to enjoy home cooking. All that was left to do now was to convince T'challa.

 **(Love all the favorites and followers. Would love some comments to see how this is appealing to all of you! xoxo)**


	6. Results

_**Wakanda**_

"Alright, you tricky little thing let's see how you respond." With a press of a button Shuris launched her newest version of her algorithm. Knowing if it was compatible would only take another few minutes, at this point she couldn't be crossing her fingers any tighter. But this time would be different she could feel it in her bones, this attempt was better than any in the past because the data made sense, the clues and effort made sense. All she could do now was wait. "Namari, run the algorithm with your processors and tell me the effects."

A male disembodied voice spoke. " _Yes, your Majesty."_ Namari, Shuris first ever creation in the artificial intelligence field was a real marvel of her genius. It was far from Starks failed attempts with the creation of Ultron. Her AI operated more on the level of JARVIS or FRIDAY but were able to connect to any building in Wakanda and knew a few more things that she couldn't wait to showcase.

"Shuri?" Her head snaps back to the lab entrance staring at Hayes as she raced over to her. "Where's your brother? I need to talk to him."

"He's in a meeting with the elders it should be over soon. Why what's wrong?"

"I just got a call from my mother. She wants to meet up." Shuris lips curled as her eyes widened and she slowly swiveled away in her chair.

"Nope can't happen and my brother will tell you the same thing." Perhaps she thought that if she couldn't make eye contact it would prevent her from saying yes.

"Please? I have to convince my mother that' I'm not in a cult."

The princess turned sharply in confusion. "What?"

"Just an hour is all I'm asking. I'd be careful and it's not like the Orange County is pretty-"

"Wait, Orange County?" Slowly the princess swiveled back to the Doctor, her face glowing. "You live in Orange County California?" Paige looked confused not understanding what was happening. "That's a seventeen-mile drive to Disneyland." Paiges lips shifted into a devious smile seeing how she could use this to her advantage in more ways than one.

"And only a two-hour drive to the Coachella location this year." She sat on her desk folding her arms over her small chest. "I have a friend who always gets us good deals on tickets."

"What are you getting at here, Hayes?"

"You convince your brother to let me see my mom for a few hours and I'll get you tickets for the greatest art and music festival in California."

The teenage genius didn't take a moment to think it over. "Deal." Regardless of the arrangement that was just made Paige felt that she would have convinced been able to convince T'Challa on her own, but this could work better in some cases. "But you know that."

 _"Shuri, the algorithm has finished processing."_

Both of them pulled away from their conversation and to Shuris datapad. "And?"

 _"My processors are responding well to the new program and is compatible with Seargents Barnes neural link."_

"Oh my god." They couldn't believe it. The algorithm had taken the new data and was compatible. "It works! It's gonna work!" Neither of them could say no to warm embrace as they cheered and congratulated one another. It had been two months and this was the first time anything close to this level of success was tangible. So much pressure and fear had been lifted, but they still had a long way to go. "Ok let's not break out the champagne just yet." Paige hated to kill the mood. "We still have to perform the operation."

"That's all up to Namari." All that was left to do was to upload him to Sargent Barnes mental link and wait. Namari will know what to do once he's inside." It was unbelievable, after all these sleepless nights and headaches everything was coming together. "Oh that's right I'll go talk to my brother."

"No." Paige was so flustered and out of it that she had completely forgotten about her mother wanting to talk. All she could think about was moving forward. "It's ok, we can focus on that later." She pulled her close for another hug, not caring how much she was crying. "I can't thank you enough." Not many people knew that Shuri didn't have many friends in Wakanda. She's a beautiful tech genie from a lamp and the only people who understand that are twice her age or don't understand it at all and they're the same age as her.

"Don't thank me yet." They both knew what they had to do now, there was no question. "Namari, can you start running the program through Sargent Barnes neural link?" Shuri asked as she ran with Paige to the medical wing.

 _"Already on it. Doctor Keray has received."_

"If this doesn't work-"

"It will," Paige reassured her. The women watched Barnes cryo pod, not knowing what the reaction would be for anyone. It was hard to escape the feeling of dread and nausea, but the fifth time had to do the trick, had to be. It had been two months and this was the first real spark of hope, the first real sign that they had saved this man's mind.

"Seems to be running smoothly," Keray said, going over the data that Namari had given to her. "It shouldn't be causing him any discomfort."

 _"The program is taking to the neural link. We should have results in eleven hours."_

"What?"

"There's a lot of scrubbing to do. Take good care Doctor Keray, notify us if there are any problems."

"Yes, your Majesty."

Shuri motioned to the door. "I don't know about you, but I need a spa day. You in?"

In all honesty Hayes feet were killing her and could really use some intense TLC. Part of her wanted to stay, but 11 hours is a long time and she needed to relax or she would just drop. "Yeah, I'm in."

 ** _DC_**

"Mrs Hayes, you don't have to worry. Your daughter is fine."

 _"don't lie to me Sam. You've been her closest friend ever since she moved to DC. Where is she, I'm scared."_

"I know you are but I promise that she's as safe as can be." Sam Wilson wasn't expecting a call from Isabella Hayes today concerning his friend and her daughter. He could hear the frustration and worry in her voice as if her world was crumbling down without her. "It won't be much longer, I promise." The call ended after that. Apparently, Isabelle didn't have much left to say. He felt horrible, but he couldn't do much more than that. "You ever heard of a woman's scorn?" Wilson asked Steve when he sat down across from him in a long armchair sitting out on the back porch of his house. He looked puzzled for a moment.

"Heard of it, can't recall if I've seen it."

Sam tossed his phone beside him on the couch and kicked his feet up on the autumn. "We'll I'm starting to think that a mother's love is much scarier."

Cap chuckled "Your mother called?"

"No, Isabella Hayes." He replied, softly kicking his leg. "Paige's mother. She lives out in California, she's just missing her." Sam has known Paige for five years since she moved to DC. Both worked for support program, that was how they met and had been close friends ever since. She hadn't known that she had been giving counseling to the Winter Solider, but then again neither did she. Before Barnes had been taken into custody by Ross and the FBI he had told them to find Hayes. Probably because he knew that she could be in danger or that he would only talk to her and not Zemo. "Feel bad that she can't come back home."

"Tony will straighten it out." Steve replied leaning back in his seat. "She's safe where she is." That wasn't a question at all.

"You both look like your hungover." Nat said pulling the boys sunglasses off them.

"Really?" Steve groaned looking up at her. "I thought we looked relaxed."

"We're on vacation, girl."

Steves eyes adjusted to the natural light and focused on Natasha who was making her way into the pool. "Can't believe Wilson has a pool and Tony never had one."

"Seriously?" Sam sounded shocked that that white rich boy could afford anything on the planet but couldn't even bother to put a pool in either the Avengers tower or the compound. "Damn." It had been nice to have some down time, for the past two months since they left Bucky in Wakanda they've been working covertly, knowing full well that they can't operate in the open. "I don't think I've ever seen you where shorts before."

Cap grinned as he readjusted his sun glasses. "Yeah, it's new for me too." What could be better? Not worrying about the world seemed ridiculous, but they all had to remember that they're people too.


	7. Wake up, Sergeant Barnes

How did the royal palace have its own spa? Paige felt like questioning the logic of this was pointless and who was she to pass up a mani-pedi? Only four hours had passed since Namari had begun to run the program, only seven hours to go. Which seemed like a good amount of time to get messages and have a movie marathon. She couldn't be anxious, time would past faster than she thought. "You do not have pet panthers." Hayes laughed as one attendant filed her nails. The meditational embassy had a large pool surrounded by a wide range of Wakanda flowers. Half of the fool was covered by a wooden walkway where the attendants could work on the girl's feet. The water was soothing, warm and bubbly from the scented soaps. The walls were white, with a beautiful gold trim. One wall of glass showed a stunning view of the deep African jungles.

"Yeah, we do girl." Not one panther had been seen in the span of the two months that she had been in Wakanda. She had made a joke about them being the royal pets of the palace, but Shuri had given her a response that made her wonder. "They are the sweetest things imaginable."

"You know I can never tell when you're kidding or not."

"But isn't that fun?" Shuri giggled at her comment and the finger messaging her small feet. Soon their toes would be polished and they would start their facials. "My baba loved these films when he was growing up." It was heartwarming to think of the King of a third world country enjoyed an 80's classic like Back to the Future. To imagine a man with that much authority and power spent that kind of quality time with his children was beautiful. Her own parents were amazing, she had landed lucky in that department of life.

"I wish I could have met him." Shuris eyes saddened when she thought of her father and how she never had a chance to say goodbye or ask him things she didn't even think to ask. All she had left was her mother and brother.

"He would have liked you." A woman of the royal staff handed each of them a white robe as they came out of the pool. Both knew that they were in desperate need of some relaxation and maybe some Netflix as well. Paige supposed that she was lucky that neither of them enjoyed stuff like the Kardashians or other forms of reality television, they were more of a quality watcher if anything else.

"So, since your brother has revealed Wakanda to the world, will there be like summer resorts for tourists now."

"Bast, I hope not." This big a change would be massive for everyone, there may be some resistance but in the end, the world could benefit from so much. Despite everything that had happened, it was nice to have friends here, to have girl time and to live life.

* * *

It didn't take as long for time to pass as they thought. Within hours Doctor Keray and her staff had a taken Barnes out of his frozen sleep when Shuri and Paige arrived at the Med Lab. He was lying unconscious on an examination table a thermal blanket wrapped around him. "Doctor Keray?"

"Heartbeat, pulse, and respiration is normal and there isn't any damage to his neural pathways. So far everything looks normal."

"How will we know if it worked?"

Paige replied. "We'll have to speak the trigger words when he's conscious."

"And I guess if that doesn't work we'll just make him carry our things when we go shopping." Shuri instantly felt guilty and knew that comment was in very poor taste when Paige shot her a look.

She sank, realizing her childish remark. "Sorry."

 _"It should only take a moment for Sargent Barnes to regain consciousness. I advise caution, he may wake with a small case of delirium and confusion."_ No one thought it would be necessary to restrain Bucky seeing that he wouldn't have the strength to even stand after his two-month long nap. Physical and mental therapy would be his next step once he was able to rest for a while. Everyone watched in amazement as his eyelids slowly moved. He exhaled deeply at first letting his body ease into the awakening. Eventually, his eyes opened, not fully but enough that he could see the group of people surrounding him. At first, there was fear, Buck reached out with his only arm for something as if that as a normal response from waking from cryo only this time he had something to hold onto. Unintendedly he grabbed Paige's hand. She made soothing noises as his breathing elevated.

"Shhhh it's alright."

"He's panicking!" Shuri said as one doctor pulled her from the table in case the patient tried to do her harm.

"Breath deeply, Sargent," Keray instructed calmly as he staff secured Barnes, trying to keep him calm and prevent him from hurting himself. "Be still and breath." His eyes were wide and fearful but steadied when he knew that he wasn't in danger. "That's it." He slipped back into unconsciousness after that. The neural process was complete and he was awake, but there was no way of knowing if all their hard work and effort had paid off until they said the damn words.

* * *

 _ **5 Hours Later**_

Bucky was all too familiar with the sensation of waking up from cryo. The stiffens of his body, the tiredness his eyes felt. The main difference was that HYDRA wouldn't give him time to collect his thoughts, he was met with rude awakenings and orders. But he wasn't being woken by a commanding voice or even electrical shocks. He actually felt the warmth of the sun on his exposed skin. The Sun was something that he wasn't allowed to wake up to when working for the enemy and her certainly never woke up in a soft, warm bed. Where the hell is he? Bucky noticed right away that something was different besides the bed and the sun, he didn't have his usual headaches. He was too stiff to move his head so used his peripheral vision to examine the room. Why couldn't he remember where he was? He may not have known right away but he felt safe and that was the greatest feeling he's ever felt when waking up somewhere he couldn't recognize. "Paige?" The soldier whispered softly to himself when he saw the doctor asleep in an armchair not too far from his bedside. Her glasses laid in her lap and her left arm propped her sleeping head up. She stirred for a moment, groaning as her eyes stirred and opened focusing on the awake soldier.

"Hey." Her reaction tip was slow to grab her glasses as they fell from her lap when she rose from her seat. "It's ok." She had to reassure him again, knowing that he was still going to be confused.

His voice was so gruff and hushed "What's going on?" He wasn't ready to heat everything yet, he needed to sleep at least for the rest of the day and then they'd have to see if he'd be able to move. "What's happening?"

"James, everything's alright." The good doctor helped ease the tired soldier back down on the mattress, securing the covers around him. "Just sleep. You don't have anything to worry about." His exhausted took him over again as he faded into the darkness. Not feeling terror or pain, but instead feeling at peace.

 _ **(Sorry this Chapter's so short. Please review)**_


	8. Still A Long Way To Go

It had 72 hours since Barnes wake up. It was amazing to finally be conscious, shower and finally be able to free from HYDRA or so he thought. "I can't do this," Barnes spoke shakenly as nurse Garen escorted him down the to the Med Lab in a wheelchair. His legs were obviously still very weak and would be going through reconditioning.

"I know you're nervous, but Shuri and I are confident that the trigger scrub worked," Paige reassured as she walked beside him, her white and purple sundress waving behind her. "It worked, this will just confirm it." Buckys fear wasn't unwarranted. If his mind still took the trigger words then that meant he would be put back on ice and Shuri and Paige would need to get back to the drawing board. "Trust your girl." Shuri greeted both of them when they arrived.

"You look better." The young princess asked, her pink flip flops thwacking against the floor. The Sargent and the doctor's eyes narrowed down to the girl's feet. "Yes, I am wearing flip-flops."

"Good to see you, princess."

"You too white boy." Shuri giggled hugging the soldier. Both really were happy to see one another. His easiness was temporarily startled when Namaris voice sounded.

 _"We are ready to begin the test, your Majesty."_

"Does every house in this time talk?"

Paige scoffed at his question. "Mine doesn't."

"Would be interesting though." Everyone heads turned when the King himself entered. Formal greetings were given from the group, pleased to see the ruler.

"What are you doing here?"

"As if I would miss my brilliant little sisters and the spectacular doctor Hayes genius."

"It's only genius if it works, big brother."

Paige steadied Barnes shaking with a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It will." Everything they've done has been leading to this moment and failure was not an option.

"Namari are we ready to proceed?"

 _"Indeed, we are."_

"Thank you for being here." Bucky thanked T'Challa while the staff restrained and placed brain monitors on his head.

"It is my pleasure." Paige stayed with him for a few more moments, making sure he stayed calm.

He was still trembling even with Paige's fingers intertwining with his. He was terrified of being put back into that darkness where everything he is was turned off and buried deep and couldn't be brought back up from the cold, black water. "I'm scared." She squeezed his hand tightly, feeling the roughness in his knuckles.

"You know who you are. Remember what anchors you to this world." He remembered Paige telling him this when he had first met her in DC.

"Trust my girl, right?" He hadn't forgotten what he learned from his therapy session, a lot of it had been helpful, more so than he ever would have thought. She had been the one helpful voice who genially cared about him and his wellbeing and here she was still defending and still caring for him.

Everyone was sure to keep their distance before Namari began to speak the trigger. Not a single sound was made, not breathing, no rhythmic tapping, even everyone's watches seemed to go silent. Bucky closed his eyes, somehow thinking that it would ease himself if he did fall into the darkness and he waited for that first word to be spoken. _"желание."_ His breathing elevated and his fist clenched, this didn't mean that the trigger was taking effect, it was only his own nervous reactions.

He heard doctor Keray speak over Namari. "Brain functions are currently normal."

"ржaвый." Bucky then thought back to the rusted old factory where his father, George Barnes had worked when he was a small boy in Romania. The old place smelled like burnt cherries and Tabaco, which is exactly what MR. Barnes often smelled like. The thought of his father made Bucky smile, thinking back to everything he had because of him. _"Семнадцать."_ Seventeen the year James was born. He remembered How his mother would always take him to the Zoo or to a show of his choosing for his birthday. She was beautiful and he had inherited her stunning eyes. _"Рассвет."_ Brooklyn always did have the most beautiful sunrises, which he and his friends would watch from the rooftops when they were kids early in the morning before they ran around town. He could actually feel the warmth and could recall all the colors after all this time. _"Печь."_ The landlord from his parent's old apartment building MR Edly always needed help stirring the fires for the furnace in the basement. Bucky and Steve had always volunteered to help him until he had passed away, one of the sweatiest gentlemen he had ever known. _"Девять."_ His nine Howling Commando brothers. They were all long dead now, but they had lived full lives and he would never forget the friendship and service they shared. " _добросердечный."_ Many people had told Buck of his kind nature and ability to see so much good in such dismal times. He snickered to himself when he remembered how Dugan told him how irritating it was back in the day. "возвращение на родину" There was no way to count how lucky he was to grow up in a safe world all through his childhood because of the war his father had won and how he got to grow up with his father in his life because of his homecoming. _"Один."_ Steve had always been the one friend who had always been there and could always be relied on. Even when he was a brainwashed killer, his dear friend never lost faith in him. _"грузовой вагон."_ Hearing the sound of the freight cars off in the distance somehow always managed to help him fall asleep late at night back in New York. It made him feel safe and happy to be home. The soldiers head arched back as his breathing hitched as if he might suffocate. Vision blurred and the memories flashed in his mind, none of which that pulled him into the darkness, but guided him toward the warm light.

"James!" The soldier snapped back to reality. His body flashed hot and shaking again. Paige was the first face he saw when his eyes focused in again. She didn't seem scared because she didn't see a killer in his eyes, didn't see an emotionless HYDRA thug. He was his own, he is James Buchanan Barnes, no longer the Winter Soldier.

"Trusted my girl." Feeling the overwhelming emotion of freedom didn't stop Barnes from hugging Paige tightly.

"Keray?" Shuri looked over to the stunned doctor who was checking back to her monitor.

"His brain functions are normal, no elevated anomaly's."

It had worked and now it was over. The Winter Soldier was no more. Paige and Bucky didn't let go of one another for a while, she couldn't bear to leave him as he broke down in her arms. There was still a bit of a road ahead, but for right now there was a victory to celebrate.

"I'll go get the Champagne."

 ** _One Week Later_**

"Gently." Doctor Garen said helping Barnes stand and guiding his hands to the parallel bars. Physical Therapy was one of the essentials of Bucks recovery process since his wake up from being in cryo. His body was having difficulties adjusting to being mobile again after being bedridden for two months. "You can do this Sergeant Barnes." Today is his eighth day of physical therapy and very little progress was being made. No one was expecting too much, a lot like the algorithm mindwipe not being an overnight process his body still had a long way to go along with his mental process which was being guided by Hayes who had more than enough experience in both fields.

"I've barely been able to take a few steps." He groaned, arms shaking on the beams as a clutch them tightly. The temporary arm that had been given was far from elegant, but functional and above all thankfully temporary. Shuri had been working on a brand-new model for him ever since he woke up.

"It's only been a little over a week. Your body is still adjusting to this just take your time and try to make it a few steps." It was harder than he had ever thought at first. But he had been in one of the greatest wars in American history. If he could survive all that and years of mental and physical abuse and torment, he could and would survive this.

"Shit!" He cursed when his grip gave and he collapsed to the ground. Three staff members worked quickly to bring Barnes back to his wheelchair. The truth was he was just a frustrated as he was tired, but he hated the thought of being stuck in bed again.

"It's alright, trust yourself. Trust yourself to move forward and to build yourself up. We can stop for today if you'd like."

"No, I can keep going." He was determined as hell to see this through. He was sick of being confined to a wheelchair and wanted to be able to stand on his own again, to get dressed in the morning without help, move around without an escort and many other things that he could accomplish on his own. He was a new man, finally free from HYDRAS control and these were his first steps to getting his life back. It was hard to recall how many times he had collided with the floor. It seemed that the problem was from the waist down. Building up his upper half hadn't been as hard, but he couldn't stand and that was made his main focus. Buck often saw Hayes for his muscle therapy twice a day and would work with Doctor Garen and his staff for at least three hours a day. His weak legs were a good motivational tool to keep his determination up. Paige had told him that the mind and body rely on one another and both had to be in sync.

"Alright." Garen guided Barnes to the rails again, allowing him one last try for the day. "Try to imagine yourself in water. Being weightless and unbound by gravity. Can you try to feel that?" He nodded, breathing deeply and keeping his eyes forward. Unbound and weightless, he thought back to when he went swimming at the docks as a kid. He remembered the feeling of just floating there, not worrying about anything, his mind adrift the same as his body. It did hurt to move, but slowly and steadily he moves his right leg to the floor, being careful with the pressure. Unfortunately, he only made it halfway before he had to sit back down again, he didn't want to stop, much against Garen's insistence that he focus on healing and then focus on results.

"How's he doing?" Paige asked one of Garen's staff, Baya.

"Getting there. He did manage to take a few steps."

Paiges German Shepard, Tanzy had been brought from her place in DC by Wilson. She has been trained as a therapy dog who often came to the clinic that Sam and Paige worked at. "Go get him, girl." Tanzy had already met Bucky back in DC and instantly loved him, she loved everyone.

Buck was more than happy to see her. "Hey, girl." He greeted her as he laid down on the floor.

"She really missed you."

"That's because I'm adorable." Paige knelt next to him on the matt.

"Ok, can you lift your left leg, six inches?" These kinds of exercises were easy to master after a few days, but it was important to have that repetition while his therapy was still going on. "Alright very good. Try the right." He didn't strain at all by the effort. "Good, now bend and unbend your knee." She gave him multiple different stretches to do after that, laying on his back, stomach, sitting and being cautious with any standing related positions. There were occasions when he did feel some pain in the exercise, Tanzy whimpered sympathetically up at him. It was amazing how she watched him as if she could help him if he fell. He stroked her fur gently as he returned to laying down. "How does this feel?" Her hands were making soft, small strokes messaging the arch of his foot, keeping the muscles relaxed.

"Pretty good." He replied, resting his hands on Tanzy's head that laid on his stomach. Tanzy was staring, panting and not taking her eyes off him. Hayes laughed at the intense staring contest they seemed to be having. Bucky then looked at her when she laughed softly to herself. "what's so funny?" His hand stroked Tanzys fur to stop her whining when he had first pulled way.

She tried to keep a straight face when she spoke. "Nothing, I just love your ponytail." The concept of his man bun was rather hilarious. He had occasional thoughts about cutting it but found that he couldn't for some reason. "Good job today, hon." The Sargent stopped her from bringing the wheelchair over to him.

"Can we just talk?" He acted as if they hadn't had a moment since he woke up, which was true. Paige sat down again next to him on the matt, legs crossed and hands in her lap. Buck noticed how the back of her hair was getting longer and her natural roots were beginning to show, usually she kept up on her hair very well. Being so busy for the past two months had undoubtedly distracted her. "I feel like you and I got our hairstyles mixed up." Her blue eyes looked at his hair and her head tilted slightly, falling on her back in laughter made that sentence seem less strange. He gazed at him lovingly as he elevated his body above hers, trapping her between her arms. "I've missed you."

"I feel like I should make a point that you're really sweaty right now but I don't know if I want to ruin this."

Barnes paused for a moment, just staring at her. "You might have."

"Typical of me." She shrugged smiling. "But I missed you too."

His eyes turned serious as they focused the doctors. "I can't thank you enough for everything you've done."

"You've still got a road ahead."

"Don't care. I'm here, I'm free and with you." Her eyes narrowed down. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing it's that….uh… Stark cleared up my involvement with you with Ross. The US government isn't looking for me anymore. I can head back to DC whenever I'm ready." Barnes froze. Climbing off of Paige he just stared at her.

"When did you find this out?"

"A few hours ago." He, of course, was thrilled for her, she didn't have to stay hidden anymore.

"So what are you going to do?"

"I have no idea." She got to her feet the helped Barnes back into his wheelchair. "Come on, you need a shower." He didn't like the idea of her leaving, would she after all the progress he's made with her? He idiotically played it off like he didn't mind the idea of her going home.

"Fine." He sighed deeply, hating that damn chair. "Are you taking it with me?"

"Nice try, Barnes. But you get points for effort."

 _ **(Please leave a Review xoxo)**_


	9. Belated Birthday Gifts

Despite his mind being free James still had occasional night terrors. That, of course, was to be expected. Just because the triggers were gone didn't mean that all the bad memories were. Paige ran to his room the minute she heard his screaming. It terrified her every time it happened. The med staff would often have to inject him with heavy sedatives. When she arrived, he was screaming in bed his eyes pierced shut, he thrashed violently as the doctors tried to hold him down. Everyone was glad that his new arm hadn't been installed yet, he would undoubtedly kill them with it. Hayes pleaded with him to wake up, hoping that sedatives wouldn't be needed, but his mind was fighting an imaginary enemy, he was trying to escape what he couldn't for years. Hayes shrieks filled the room when Buckys fleshed hand gripped her throat tightly, pinning her underneath him. She struggled at first, terrified, his eyes were cold almost devoid of emotion. "….it's ok." Those eyes were not those of the man she knew, they were the eyes of a killer. "remember…your anchor." She gasped not breaking their eyes contact. Maybe that would help bring him back if she showed that she wasn't afraid. "Brooklyn….human…howling." His grip increased as she spoke, the doctors were still trying to break his hold. "unbound…soul…." He's not a killer anymore.

"Paige?" Before collapsing his eyes rolled back and closed. The room was then silent as the doctors laid Barnes back in bed. Hayes stayed with him for the rest of the night even when he awoke and remembered she still stayed, comforting him while he sobbed in her arms, apologizing for what he had done to her.

* * *

The next morning Bucky spent his day avoiding Hayes. Shuri had been acting as if she were on a sugar high all day, she was giddy and hyper. She is always excited to showcase her brilliance to anyone willing to see, but there was something very prideful about this particular invention. "Alright now don't be surprised when I disarm you with my brilliance. But you should appreciate that I've given you a hand and appreciate that I'm pretty handy."

"Were you practicing those before I came in?" Barnes asked when he sat upon the examination table.

"I've got more if those don't like those. I think I nailed it…get it fingernail?"

"Yeah, I get it."

"Or maybe I should go to the second-hand store."

"Ok please stop. It physically hurts now." Getting used to Shuris puns wasn't anything new, the fact that she had more than required was ridiculous. The new arm, however, was far from that, polished down blue with a gold inner layer it looked like the extremity of a killer. "What do you think?

"Let's try it on." Attaching didn't take very long, it felt tight and strange at first but felt right and real as it should.

"It's brand new so please don't scuff it up."

"Don't worry, I'm not currently going to war." He would, of course, take it easy with the new ligament, test the limits slowly while he also conditioned himself. "Thank you, it's great but I think it's got some denting in the forearm." He teased.

"You ass! Fine, I'll take it back!" Barnes ran off the table, not wasting time to get to the door. He was already running late for a session with Karey. "I'll steal it back when you're sleeping, white boy!" Part of him knew better than to doubt that and she would certainly try. It only took Buck another week to be able to walk with only little assistance of crutches. Now that he was able to move without a personal assistant. Doctor Keray and her staff were putting him through aromatherapy to ease his mind and elevate his wellbeing. Buck was up for anything that didn't involve fighting, it was important for him to be in a calm, tranquil area to finish his healing process.

"Love the new arm."

He cursed himself for not doing a better job of dodging her, but he knew that she would have found him eventually. "Hey, love your hair." The blonde dye had finally run out to show the doctors natural deep auburn. The length had even returned to its short, boy like style. He tried hard not to stare at the small bruises on her neck that took on the shape of fingerprints, the fingers from his hand. "Paige-"

"I'll stop you right there. I'm not gonna lie to you, I was scared last night, terrified that you would strangle me in my pajamas." She gently intertwined her fingers in those of his metal ones. "We have a long way still to go with your mind and what follows. I'm not mad at you, not in the least, but I hope that what happened pushes you to work harder." This was more than a fair deal, she wasn't disappointed in him, she was only telling him to work harder so that he would never have to worry about something like this happening again. "Let's move on." He held her close, thankful that she wouldn't hold what happened against him.

"Can we talk?" Folding his hands when he spoke indicated that he was nervous.

Paige smiled up at him, knowing that h was going to work harder for both of them. "Sure, but later. You have a therapy session to get to."

* * *

I have something for you." Barnes turned, looking intrigued when the Doctor entered his room that night. "Happy birthday." Taking the nicely wrapped gift she handed to him, he admired the gesture.

"My birthday was five months ago."

"I know but you had left DC by then and I didn't see you again till you sent Wilson and Rogers to find me when you were taken in by the government." She breathed out deeply, realizing that she said that a lot faster than intended. "And I really love birthdays."

"You didn't have to get me anything."

"Trust me you'll love this."

"Will I like it?" He asked Tanzy who was sleeping in her dog bed. Paige was relieved to know that despite being a 99-year-old he didn't unwrap presents like one. The blue paper was torn back to reveal the Winter Soldier notebook. "What is-"

"I thought you would have liked to destroy it yourself. Burn it, shred it, throw it in a river whatever you want it's up to you."

He couldn't believe it. This damn thing was one of the many causes of his misery over the centuries. "But what if you need it again." There were high hopes that they never would. Paige reached into the pocket of her dress to reveal a flash drive hidden inside.

"Digital copy. You're the sole holder of the last physical copy of the notebook and as a bonus, you get to hold onto the drive." All of this was insane, it couldn't be real. He was still getting used to the fact that his mind was free from HYDRAS control and now the one terrible instrument that could start all of that all over again was in his hands to do with as he pleased.

"You're incredible." Her cheeks flushed, as he pulled her close to him. He felt so small at that moment when he helped her remove his shirt. Her hands were gentle when they ran against his skin. Goosebumps formed on his back and he shuttered when he felt her hands run across his tailbone.

"You don't like that?" She asked sensually

Barnes spoke softly, raising his hands to her face. "No, it's just that." His eyes moved over to Tanzy and whispered. "The dog is right there." Laughter filled the room which Paige tried to stop by letting Tanzy out of the room and locking the door. Why was he trembling? James was sick and tired of being afraid, he had done all of that when under HYDRAS thrall

His eyes were dead on her when his metallic hand unclipped the back of her dress then pressed against her skin. "Ooooh."

"Shit, what did I do?" The trembling through his system seemed to increase. How could he have screwed this up in just one minute?

Paige felt horrible for that delivery, knowing that the soldier was already nervous enough. "No, it's not you... the arms cold." That was a relief to hear.

"Sorry, but I don't think that Shuri installed a heater in this thing."

"Wouldn't be surprised if she did." The rapid beating of Bucky's heart felt as if it would kill him when he looked her over. She wasn't even completely naked and he already felt out of his element. Her flesh was cold compared to his, but the sensation they both felt in the embrace was indescribable as if living at this very moment couldn't be more divine. Paige knew it was too early to scream when the soldier's mouth pressed against her neck.

"I haven't done this in a long time." He finally admitted to her, turning a little red with embarrassment.

"In a long time or is this more of a be gentle it's my first-time thing?" Paige wasn't convinced that he was a 34-year-old virgin during or before the war, he was too damn hot. "You can't be a virgin because you're the sexiest looking 99-year-old I've ever seen." Bucky seemed to like the sound of that and happy to know that the idea of him being old enough to be a great-grandfather didn't bother her. She was only a year older than him biologically. Paige mimicked a tone to sound childish and teased the soldier. "Am I your first 21st-century girl?"

Somehow the answer was already clear when he lifted her up, clutching her legs. "What was your first clue?"

"Relax, Barnes," Paige replied, running her lips over his shoulder to his neck than ear. "I'm not gonna go Fifty Shades of Grey on you, because that would be creepy." Paige had better taste than that. "Besides you're doing great so far." There was the realization that Buck was still in his recovery process, but he hadn't gripped once about therapy or his daily routine, he had been good and this was his reward. Paige guided the soldier's hand to her bra clasp, helping to rid herself of the device. Her small body tensed when his soft lips explore her navel.

His breath was hot on her skin when he spoke. "You're beautiful." He elevated his body above hers, just like he had the night before only this time he wasn't trying to strangle her. However, Barnes showed how he was far from gentle when removing the rest of Paige's clothes, not feeling so insecure anymore. The doctor didn't think to object if the rest of the night went like that. The blankets of the bed slid and shifted as the pair moved against one another. If Bucky's arm didn't have a heating unit it was certainly being heated now when he moved it down Paige's leg that was hooked around his waist. The breathing of the two became heavy and fast-paced when they ground against each other. The doctor slid the soldier's hair back from his damp forehead, pulling his lips back to hers. "I want you." Bucky's mind was racing, taking in every sensation, taste and sight that came from Paige, she seemed to almost glow in the moonlight. What he was feeling wasn't just ecstasy or pure bliss, it was the feeling of real freedom from bondage, being with her and like this was a reminder of what he was now able to have, romance, intimacy and lovemaking along with so much more. His girl moaned blissfully when she felt the stubble of his face press on her chest. "How does that feel?"

There was no hesitation to answer. "Wonderful." Hayes gasped navigating her right leg down the soldier's side and down, locking it around his like how her other was secured around his waist. After so much time and effort tonight, it was just them. When he entered her slowly she held her breath so that she would scream. To help prevent this urge Buck bit down on her lip and pinned her arms down. Every feeling inside them had skyrocketed as if pure sensation and emotions were only made for them to experience this. His eyes saddened when he looked at the bruises on her neck again. "Focus on me, Barnes." She said turning his attention back to her eyes. "Don't worry about that." Her nails dug into his back, explored the smooth surface, clutching to it as if it were a lifeline that she would never let go of. Her entire presents made him weak, made him want to give her everything. But Paige Hayes was no taker, she was a giver. Hours had passed until they had fallen asleep together. For a short time, Barnes watched Paige sleep peacefully, thankful for everything she had given him.

 _ **(the Last Chapter will be posted soon. Drop me a review ;)**_


	10. A Surprise Enemy

The sun lit the planes of Wakanda with a heavenly glow. Everything seemed to come alive then, the people and animals were starting to wake and begin their daily routines. Everything and everyone felt connected to one another. Bucky was pulled out of his sleep, not by a dream, but by a small, warm hand that brushed against his neck. "Good morning." Paige cooed. "How do you feel?" She asked, climbing onto of the soldier and placing a kiss on her forehead.

A groan left his lips as he stretched. "Good, really good." He did, he had been feeling great for the past few weeks. He felt, calm and free. His arms wrapped around Paige's waist as she laid on top of him. She laughed, looking at how messy his hair was. "Is this what real happiness feels like?" She looked up at him with sadness in her eye. Horrified that he hadn't felt happiness in such a long time.

"Yes." She replied into his neck. "This is what it feels like."

His arm now felt warm on her body. His fleshed hand ran against her cheek, trying to reassure her of the pain he wasn't in. "So, what do you have going on today?"

"Visiting my mother back in California. Because I'm sure that if I don't she's going to send a search party after me."

"We still haven't talked about that yet. You going back to DC."

Paige squinted her eyes again deciding to tease the soldier. "Yeah, I'm going back to DC after I slept with you and totally don't want to start a relationship. How horrible do you think I am?" Her sarcasm was beyond hilarious. "No, I'm staying here for as long as you need."

That was a relief to hear, he hated the idea of her leaving him. But knew that her being stuck here wasn't any better. she has a family on the outside who love her. "Can I come with you?"

The young doctor shook her head as she ran her hand over his beard. "Stark got me off Ross's radar, Buck. Doesn't mean his grudge against you is gone."

"I think grudge might not be the right word."

"Regardless, what happened wasn't your fault."

"I beat his father to death and strangled his mother. I didn't even look her in the eyes."

"Jesus." Paige trembled, pressing his cheek against hers. "But you know that you'd never do something like that of your own free will. Howard Stark was your ally you worked with him. Did you ever have a desire to harm him?"

Bucky didn't even have to think about the answer. "Never."

"See?" Kissing his cheek, she laughed when he pulled her down again when she attempted to get up.

"Can I please come with you? I need the fresh air."

"There's fresh air outside you know."

"You know what I mean." Paige knows that Bucky must have been getting tired of staying hidden in Wakanda. He was more than ready to get back out in the world and live his life as he chooses.

"This isn't gonna be a meet the parent's situation. Do you know how awkward that's going to be?" He laughed at her remark, thinking that he wasn't ready for family introductions. And it would be insane for Paige to tell them that he was an ex-soviet assassin. She sighed. "I'll see what I can do."

"Love ya Doll." Getting out would be good for him and he's always wanted to see where Paige had lived before DC. He's never been anywhere that warm before. "I'll be close by in case you need me."

Paige gazed at him smugly, climbing off him and getting dressed. "Put your clothes on. I want to show you something." Bucky didn't really know what to expect when she said this, but he did as told and gathered his clothes. "Ok, come at me!"

"What?"

"Throw a punch at me." She didn't seem scared at the thought of him possibly striking her. But instead of arguing with her he threw the punch. Paige slides to the left, grabbing the soldier's wrist and upper arm, using his momentum to throw him down and twisting his wrist to lock him down.

Bucky stared at her in amazement. "Wow."

Helping Bucky back to his feet Paige explain. "I had a very….let's say difficult brother growing up."

Bucky sat up on the floor, rubbing his sore wrist. "So, you found a way to kick his ass?" He moaned, getting back on his feet and rubbing his backside.

"Sorry and only to kick his ass or anyone else's who tries to hurt me. I don't like being helpless, not unless I can do something about it."

"Hey." He said pulling her close to him. "You are far from helpless."

She smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck "We both are, Barnes."

 ** _California_**

One guard. That was the deal Doctor Hayes made with the Wakandan King in exchange for letting her return to the states. Okoye had dispatched Riyu from the Dora and Barnes accompanied the physiatrist back to her hometown of Orange County in California. The feeling of being home again was overwhelming, Paige had only lived in DC for only four years and it felt amazing to be home and to dress like she had in Wakanda. The blue scale pattered tank top she wore hung like a dress over her tan Capri shorts. Multicolored bangles covered her wrists. While Paige met with her mother and sister, Riyu watched from a distance, taking in her surroundings and watching whoever came close to her target. Barnes sat at a table opposite of Riyus view "Hey." Carla rose from her seat at the Orange Hill restaurant to hug her daughter. "Oh, thank god you're here and not covered in tattoos or body piercings."

"Or dressed in a white robe" Sophia added.

Paige rolled her eyes and embraced her mother and sister. "I still just have the one tattoo and the ear piercings." It felt good to hug her own mother again, it felt safe. The women took a seat at the table allowing the waiter to fill their wine glasses. "You look good. How's dad?" Paige adjusted her glasses as she scooted her seat up.

"Busy same as me."

"Runs in the family." Carla and her husband worked together as architects in Orange County while her sister worked for a travel agency. Her mother was shorter than her, short black hair and deep eyes, they almost looked scary at times. "Sad that dad couldn't make it."

"He'll be happy to know that you're ok. And I'm just happy that you're not in danger anymore."

"So, did you work the whole time you were on vacation?"

"It wasn't a vacation, sis. I was working with a special patient."

"I still think that you should move out of DC, after what happened with those giant flying battleships I wouldn't want to stick around."

"Mom, I can't move out of every area that has a terrorist attack."

"Did you hear that your cousin Arron's, friends, sisters, stepbrother had to be shuttled out of the AirPort in Vienna because of that fight on the runway?" Paige knew that her mother had never been a fan of the Avengers or anyone like them, but mocking the Sakovia Accords wasn't a joke, at least not to her. "And that Hydra assassin bombed the UN in Vienna!"

"He was framed." Carla and Sophia looked shocked at how defensive Paige sounded. Bucky smiled from a distance as his girl sank back into her seat.

"Sorry, can we talk about something else?"

"how about how our beloved Huskies let us down this month."

"Your grandfather would have been so disappointed."

It was almost a subconscious reflex to fiddle with her necklace. It held her grandfather's ashes and was a constant reminder of why she helps people. "I miss him." Hunter Conrad as his name was had lived in DC all his life and was the reason Paige had moved there when he was sick. Paige had thought when she was small that if a man who could survive a war shouldn't be able to die, but as life is, he did.

Sophia held her sisters hand tightly. "We all do."

"How long are you planning to stay in Cali?" Paige hadn't really had a chance to think it over yet.

"I'm not sure yet. I mean I've made a really good position in DC." Telling her mother about being hired by the Avengers would either give her another heart attack or make her senile.

"What kind of position?" Sophia asked looking intrigued at her younger sister. "It's not classified is it?"

"Leave her alone, Sophia. We're proud of you regardless." The three of them spent the rest of the evening exchanging stories. Paige didn't think she'd ever tell them the full truth, they would either call her crazy or something else radical. And maybe not telling them wouldn't be the worst thing that she could do, maybe the Avengers could be the one part of her life that she didn't have to share. "So, tell us about where you've been working and with who."

"I don't know if that's safe yet.

Carla insisted. "Oh, come on, if you're not in danger any more than what's the concern?"

"I dunno. Call me paranoid."

"What about this special patient?"

"I thought I asked to change the conversation?" Carla's hand stretched out to her daughter, taking it gently.

"You can tell us."

"I can, but that isn't the point."

Paige suddenly became uncomfortable with her mother's prying; the grip of her hand had tightened and her eyes seemed different. "Paige, just tell us the truth. You know I can't stand secrets."

"Mom I thought you said not to-"

"Were you staying out of the US?" Paige struggled to pull away. "We're you even close to California?"

"I can't tell you!" Every head in the restaurant turned to see the commotion that was coming from their table. Bucky and Riyu both stood from their seats, quickly making their way over to Hayes, but Riyu stoped the soldier.

"Wait outside. I'll handle this."

"Where were you?"

"Mom!" Paige pulled away from her mother's grip as she stood and shielding Sophia behind her.

"Where are you hiding him, Paige?" She froze. Her chest tightened and her cheeks burned. All this time she had thought that her mother wanted to see her was just because she missed her daughter, but that wasn't the case at all. She wanted to know about her special patient.

"Oh my god!"

"Tell me where you're hiding him?" Riyu had already snapped into action before Hayes could even say her name.

"Paige, please listen to me. You don't understand." Riyus staff laid across Carla's throat before she could make another move. Sophia screamed at the sight of her mother being attacked by a woman with a spear.

"Oh my god like that's supposed to make the fact that you work for HYDRA fucking alright?!"

"Where are you hiding him, Paige?"

"What should I do with her?" Riyu asked, not lowering her weapon. They were already making a scene, all heads in the cafe were on them. Paige knew that she heard someone call the police for the disturbance that they had made.

Paige struggled to speak, clutching the railing close to her to keep her balance as if she might collapse. "We...we can't leave her with the police. Bring her downstairs I'll make a phone call." Sophia was struggling to stay calm the same as her sister. "Deep breathes sis."

"Paige what the hell is going on?!" Paige gripped her sister tightly, looking her dead in the eye.

"Shopi, please listen to me. You're going to get Allen and your kids and leave your house."

"Leave the house?"

"Only temporarily. Get out of the city and find somewhere safe to stay. And don't call dad, I'll send someone for you as soon as I can." The sisters embraced again before Sophia returned to her car and sped away.

"Paige!" Bucky embraced the doctor when she exited the café. "You ok?" Concern echoed in his voice.

Paige hesitated, clutching Barnes tightly, her breathing deep and ragged. "No." She clung to his jacket, her eyes br=urning with tears as she tried to process what had just happened. Had it even happened at all?

"The police are coming. I can't stay here." Both of them could hear sirens going off in the distance.

She couldn't move, her legs had buckled and seemed to be pulling her down harder and harder every minute "I'm….I'm coming with you." Once again, he didn't argue with her. Buck had to carry her back to the ship while Riyu took Mrs. Hayes along with them. She spent the return trip tied up on the ground and blindfolded. Paige didn't say anything the entire flight back to Wakanda. She couldn't stop shaking even when Bucky held her or at least tried to, she pulled away every so often. "I'm sorry." Was all she could say when she rested her head against Bucky's shoulder.

 _ **(Ok so maybe I'll throw in one more chapter to conclude. Just felt like throwing a twist in)**_


	11. A HYDRA History

**_Wakanda_**

Paige hadn't left her room for the rest of the day when they returned to Wakanda. Shuri had made many attempts to make her friend feel better but had no success. Tanzy stayed with her, curled up on her bed questing so much of her life. HYDRA hadn't resurfaced since the incident in DC two years ago and any remaining insurgents had been tracked down and arrested. Carla must have been one of the many that managed to sneak back into the shadows. It wasn't yet known if she had any involvement with the Winter Soldier Program, the woman had refused to speak and Paige was too afraid to ask. Okoye was interrogating her along with Riyu and Ayo. Two of the Dora was posted outside her door if I needed anything. Hayes dried her eyes quickly when her phone softly rang and cleared her throat. "Hello."

"Hey," Sam spoke comfortingly over the line. "T'Challa called us, told us everything. Are you ok."

She sounded out of breath. "No." She sat up, resting against the headboard of her bed. "I'm…I'm so confused." Sam felt horrible when he heard Paige's voice break. He had known Carla, saw her as a wonderful mother and dedicated to her work. Not some HYDRA operative, how could a woman with such a kindhearted daughter work for people like HYDRA? "Everything feels so fucked up. I don't know what to do."

"Do you want me to come out there?"

"Is that safe?" She asked. "I mean she's locked up and doesn't know that I know about you and the others." Talking deep breaths, trying to maintain a sense of calm. The truth was that she would love Sam Wilsons company more than he knew, he's her closest friend. But it may have been best for him to stay away for the time being.

"Deep breaths. I can talk as long as you need."

James stood outside her door listening to every word she said to Sam. He was happy she had someone to talk to, what could he possibly say in this situation. The idea that she was involved in any of this was more than unlikely, her devastated expression said that. He returned to his room, knowing that the best thing to do was give her space.

"I haven't gone down to talk with her."

"You don't need to feel obligated to." She knew that, but curiosity and the urge to tell her off was overwhelming. "You are so strong, Paige." Sam's heart broke when Paige broke down on the phone, her breathing short to the point of hyperventilating. Wilsons calming words only made her cry more, his kindness and concern for her well-being couldn't be believed. They continued to talk for as long as Paige was able to be understood over her sadness. "I gotta go Hazy, but I will call you later." This is one of the reasons why it's important to have good people and friends to rely on. Paige at time forgot how to rely on other when she spent so much of her time listening and helping others.

She was hesitant to see her but had to ask the questions that flooded her mind. The need for answers faded and turned to anger than rage. She rose from her bed, feeling sick of self-pity and stomped down to the detention level of the palace where her Mother was being held. Never once had Paige Hayes ever regretted being a giver, she preferred to be that way. Often felt that too many people she's worked with are never given a chance to begin anew. It was as if all rational thought had escaped her, she had lost control of her better nature and was on a warpath.

"I want to know everything!" Hayes demanded when she opened the door to the holding cell where her mother was. Her hands were cuffed behind her back and she sat on a small bench. Cameras filled the corners of the small room, that at times made her feel constricted.

"Doctor Hayes, please return to your room," Okoye ordered, trying to stop Paige from entering the room. The Dora had left Carla's confiscated items laid out on a nearby table. Among the content was a Makarov PM. Paige could only imagine what her mother had used that for. She was quick to remove the gun from the table and locked it back. Carla screamed when one of the bullets collided with the wall near her head, her daughter had missed purposefully, only wanting to scare rather than kill. Okoye took a defensive stance toward Hayes, but slowly backed away with Ayo. It would have been so easy to subdue the Doctor, but the Dora General felt a sense of calm when the small woman winked at her. The cameras indicated that people were watching and most likely were on their way to stop Hayes. Not wanting to risk being interrupted she secured a chair under the knob of the door to lock the entrance.

"HYDRA runs on the family. At least on my side." Her hands were trembling when she held the gun tighter.

"Not my father, his brother, your great uncle and my grandfather were recruited long before the war. Our family has always been filled with scientists, a student of the body and the mind. How far our involvement goes is unknown."

Paige became pale, heart pounding in her ears, besides her mother's voice it was all she could hear. "Who was my grandfather?" Carla didn't speak at first but screamed when her daughter fired the gun she held again at the wall.

"Tell me!"

The shaken HYDRA Agent kept her arms up like a shield, thinking that this action would defend her from any further bullets that left the barrel of the weapon." My father was Johann Fennhoff. But during the war, he went under the allies of Doctor Faustus, there…there have been countless Faustus's in our family who have used the same name. Teaching their unique skills to their children to carry on the name and legacy." Paige knew that name. Faustus was much like her a studier of the brain and the ways in which it operated. He was a HYDRA agent who tortured Ally troops. His methods were not given great details in textbooks and even information about him was scarce to find. "I'm his only child and was supposed to carry on his legacy, but I didn't have the ability to learn it. It's one of my greatest shames. That's why I was hoping I could teach you!" Paige gasped, falling to her knees. The power to hold the gun was slowly fading as she felt herself becoming weaker and weaker. It was almost subconscious when she pulled the trigger again at the wall and then a fourth time. "Paige."

"Grandpa Hunter fought for the Allies, he fought the enemy that you are! How could you do that?"

"I had no bad thoughts toward your dad's father. I admired him for overcoming so much. Despite who he fought for I still married your father. When you and your siblings were born I was so excited to see which of you would be able to inherit my father's talents. And out of Sophia and Madsen, you came the closest. Your love of the human mind made you the perfect candidate."

"You couldn't teach Madsen? He was certainly insane enough for your line of work!"

"I never encouraged or cared for your brother's abusive nature!"

"Say it's genetic?" Paige knew that time was running out when she heard banging on the door. She ordered Okoye not to open it, she only needed a few more moments. "How did you know I-"

"How did I know that you were involved? It seemed like fate that the Winter Soldier would end up back in the hands of a Hayes, or in this case a Faustus." All of this had to be a horrible dream and she wanted nothing more than to wake up. But it felt so real, the weakness in her body, the buzzing in her right hand she felt after the gun was fired. "My very few HYDRA contacts had informed me that you were taken into custody when the UN was bombed, figured you must have had some involvement with the Soldier." She felt sick to her stomach, everything was becoming hazy as if she might faint.

"You're horrible." Was all that she could say at first. "You've helped cause so misery. I'm not going to help you do that just to fulfill your fucked-up family legacy!" The banging was getting louder and louder.

"You can learn to put your skills to good use. You don't have to feel so broken."

Paige rose to her feet when the door finally gave and Bucky followed by the royal siblings entered. "Paige!" Buck yelled when Hayes rose the gun to her mother again but did not pull the trigger, instead struck her head with the butt of the weapon, knocking her out. Part of her ached when the body fell to the floor.

"Our family history is broken. Its redemption ends with you and starts with me." Before all of this Paige Hayes was proud of her family and the good that she was made to believe that they had done for the world, but now it was cold. Filled with lies and terror that had broken so many people. Left so much life ruined and buried in darkness and fear. Her eyes settled on Bucky's when he kneeled in front of her. "I should have killed her."

The soldier shuttered at the thought of this woman taking any kind of life. "Paige, listen to me." Bucky locked his hands on her shoulders, kneeling in front of her to be eye level. His hands moved slowly to her own to take the gun away. "You're better than that. You're no killer. You don't break people, you give them hope and a chance to bring themselves back together again. You make them feel complete again, like me. You gave me hope that I could still make something of my life, even after everything I've done." Hayes' hair seemed to be standing on ends, goosebumps trailed down her body and tears filled her eyes. "You are not your family."

How could he say this? He was so calm and comforting, just like Sam. Paige didn't know whether to cry or laugh over everything that had happened, she didn't feel safe, didn't feel like herself anymore. She loved Barnes, regardless of the terror that he had caused, but how could he remind her of her better self with the potential that her family of murderers could have played a role in his pain and misery. Darkness was overcoming and her breathing cut off for a moment. "James…" Bucky caught her when she fainted, holding her limp body tightly, signifying that he wouldn't let her go in this desperate moment.

"I've got you."

 ** _(sorry took so long to post,_ I was having trouble with this scene and had a totally another version _in mind where Paige was_ an undercover Kree. she'd still be good her family history still tied to hydra _...oh god_ I'm _dorky. final chapter posted soon)_**


	12. The Past Does Not Define You

SHIELD Agents had come to retrieve Mrs. Hayes and take her into custody and would handle any loose ends and would keep tabs on the rest of the Hayes family for a while. They made quick work to leave in a hurry. Reports were coming in that Doctor Bruce Banner was contacting SHIELD from some kind of ship entering the atmosphere. Bucky had brought Paige back up to her room and stayed with her until she woke up hours later. She was beautiful to watch while she slept

"Bucky?" Her voice was quiet and drowsy when she finally woke.

He laid on his side, holding her close, but giving her room. "Hey, how do you feel?" She didn't answer right away. She must have been pondering that since she had opened her eye. She instantly noticed that she had been changed into one of her short-sleeved nightshirts. Buck held her close when she buried her face in the crook of his neck, she trembled against him as she sobbed. That sound broke his heart, he would prefer only one of them to have troubled pasts, not both. And he would be the one to take it all, to lift her burdens and take them as his own. "None of this is your fault."

"I…I know that." She whimpered, her right arm gripping his back tightly. "But I am the descendant of a long line of a horrid history." Bucky knew in his heart that Paige wasn't HYDRA, she didn't have the ability for her to be so. And even if she was there were plenty of opportunities for her to betray any of them. "They manipulate men and women to do thing…things to themselves and to others. They played people for their own gain to achieve the upper hand in history. The name Hayes is a disgrace." Her mother had kept their family name when she married her husband. Instead of Paige Conrad, she is Paige Hayes...legally. It now made sense why her mother made her father keep her last name instead of his.

"You know I kinda like the sound of Paige Conrad." Paige looked up at him with a big smile on her face, thinking the same thing he was.

"Me too." Bucky smiled at her, drying her eyes. Paige sighed deeply, resting her hand on his bristled cheek. "When you were enslaved to HYDRA." There was so much fear to ask him. "Did you ever….meet a man named Faustus?"

Bucky didn't want to tell her the truth. Not doing so would be a mercy, might save her soul from completely destroying itself and sustain her faith. "A few times." Buck pulled the comforter up to keep them warm after he told her this. "I barely remember him, but I know he performed some of the Winter Soldier procedures on me. He literary wrote the book."

Paige quickly rose from the bed. "The book." She turned back to the soldier who still laid next to her. "Do you still have the book?" She prayed that he didn't, prayed he had destroyed it without her knowing, she never wanted to see the damn thing ever again. Buck leaned over the side of the bed and opened the side drawer of the bed stand, opening a small compartment where the book was hidden. "You didn't get rid of it?"

"I was using it as motivation. To recover and move on, to get where I am now." Both just stared at the red book. Finding how unbelievable it was that fate had brought them together because of this horrible book. Paige watched as Bucky placed a lit candle from the bedside in the bottom of a metal wastebasket then followed by the book. The Doctor and the Soldier watched as the Winter Soldier book burned to a pile of ash, destroying the sadistic content it held. Freeing them from all the misery it caused them both.

"I won't even try to say that this book has caused me more misery. What it did to you, what my family did to you is so much worse."

"You didn't get a choice to be born into that family. Both our hands were tied. But this book does not define us!"

"No, it doesn't. We've both grown so much."

"I'm grateful you've been by my side."

"I always will be. Whether we stay together or not. You were my patient, then friend and now you're the love of my life. Even if this ends I promise that I am always going to be here whenever you need me." Barnes' heart was racing, he believed every word she said.

"I don't deserve you, Paige Conrad." He smiled, pulling her into his lap.

"You deserve more than you know, James Barnes." Bucky was right, that book and its legacy did not define them. Sure, they were not free from some of the guilt, but the people behind the curtains were even more guilty than them. The trembling in her body stopped immediately when his lips pressed to hers.

 ** _One Month Later_**

A great deal of time had passed before Doctor Paige Conrad was able to accept and move on from her family's history. She decided not to tell her father and sister the truth, it would be better that way. Paige had rejected her families name and had taken from the man who she had always admired, who had inspired her all her life. Her grandfather on her father's side, Lieutenant Hunter Conrad. The outer planes were so tranquil, the sights and smells could relax anyone. The people who lived in these small villages were very earthly people, who didn't rely so much on Wakanda technology for everyday purposes and preferred to do things by hand. Paige wove baskets while female elders sang to her in Wakandian. Small children clung to her legs, chanting White Wolf. They were staying out in Wakandas grasslands, in a small village where Sargent Barnes was finishing the final days of his therapy. She playfully scolded them when ran out of Bucky's hut after teasing him again. For the past two days, he had been exposed to spiritual remedies to ease his mind and body further. When this treatment was finished he'd begin training with the Dora and therapy would be reduced to only twice a month. James should be proud of the two-year-long process that he had made, it all seemed to fly by. When he was ready, he'd go back out in the field as a hero working for the light, rather than a victim of the darkness.

Shuri brought the Sargent over from the river after he had awoken. "Good morning." She smiled up at him. He looked so at peace and at one with himself, a new man. "Ready to continue?"

"More than you know." He replied, taking her hand. She gripped his good arm to help support the soldier in case he fell. Paige Conrad and James Barnes were no longer the people they once were. Both had changed for the better and would face their new lives head-on, with or without one another.

 ** _THE END_**

 ** _(I'll post more of my "Before Infinity Chronicles" before infinity war is released. I hope you have enjoyed Paige Conrad and would love to know if you'd want to see more of her in the future. Thanks for all the support!)_**


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